Swapping Sides
by Kiba Sniper
Summary: It was her first solo mission to stop a few thieves from stealing a precious jewel at the museum. She was not ready for to see them...of all villains. Jinx/Mammoth


Characters © Respective Owners

Summary: It was her first solo mission to stop a few thieves from stealing a precious jewel at the museum. She was not ready for to see them of all villains. Jinx/Mammoth

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Swapping Sides

Jinx was always impulsive, wanting to hurry the mission along and get the job done. She betrayed her former teammates, her former friends, to join the Teen Titans. Ever since she met Kid Flash, everything was different. She was a hero now, a Titan bent on justice even though it was corny.

Jinx and Kid Flash lived with the Teen Titans ever since they froze the evilest of villains, including her friends from the H.I.V.E Five. Every time she thought about it, pangs of guilt roused in her chest, but she could easily hide it. Only Kid Flash could get inside her head, and the more aggressive he got with her doing what he thought was right was finally annoying her.

"KF, will you just shut up!" Jinx screamed, slamming her hands together, forming pink energy.

"Now, Jinxy, don't get angry, it'll ruin your pretty face," Kid Flash sneered.

"Screw!" she snapped. "You are aggravating! At times like this, I wish I gave your stupid carcass to Madame Rouge."

Kid Flash shrugged before bolting off in a run to see Beast Boy and Cyborg saunter into the lounge where the proceeded to play Super High Speed Races 4. Jinx just stared at the three teens, shaking her head until Cyborg, the man she used to have a crush on, offered her a spot to play. Politely declining, she stated she wasn't good at video games.

"Aw, it's easy! All you have to do is race," Cyborg explained before his car suddenly went off a ramp. "What the-? Beast Boy, you're dead!"

Beast Boy laughed starkly, making Jinx cringe. She would never get used to it since it was high-pitched and arrogant, just like Gizmo's. She shook her head at Kid Flash when he offered, making up the excuse that she promised Starfire to go to the "mall of shopping". Leaving the lounge, she managed to bump directly into Raven, the only one in the Titans who didn't trust her.

"Raven," Jinx stated coldly.

"Jinx," Rave murmured. "Robin asked me to tell you this since he and Starfire are checking out the remains of Slade's lair. Apparently, some thugs are in the middle of a heist, and he wants you to check on it. While you're there, he told me to watch the boys in case they do anything stupid like shut the electricity down…even though Beast Boy did that last week."

"By myself? Huh, seems like Robin knows that I'm the better girl, Raven," Jinx smirked as Raven simply walked by, very unaffected at her patronizing ways. "Well, where are the thugs?"

"At the museum in the city. They already knocked the guards out, and Robin wants to see if you're a capable enough to be a full-fledged Titan. We don't want another…Terra," Raven hissed.

Jinx never met Terra, but distinctively recalled that she was the one who originally betrayed her new team to go to Slade, but killed him. She redeemed herself, but she was never technically part of the Titans until her death. Jinx shrugged before leaving Raven to deal with the three boys.

The bad-luck girl leaped through the streets on top of parked cars. This was her first solo mission as a Titan, and she wouldn't screw it up. At least she didn't have annoying partners to boss around, but in a way, she liked when they were around. Shaking her head, she shoved the thought of the H.I.V.E Five to the back of her mind and concentrated on the mission.

Jinx darted into the museum as night was beginning to fall. The sunset sparkled in the sky brilliant hues of orange and pinks with a mixture of the light blues that began to dim to darkness. All of the guards were unconscious, plastered out along the ground like broken ornaments of a chandelier. Perhaps it was Cinderblock running amok. No, there would be crevices from his footsteps in the tiled floor. Random places that had security cameras and anything else techno-savvy were destroyed by explosions. Jinx crouched down, finding a defused bomb, and she gasped.

It was the H.I.V.E symbol. Jinx crushed it in her palm, her magic crumbling it to dust. Soft thuds tapped from behind, and Jinx hid behind some of the rumble left in the wake. Peering over her shoulder, her pink cat-like eyes widened in horror.

Mammoth, Gizmo, Kid Wykkyd and See-More stood there with the latter up in his mechanical spider legs. Gizmo was holding a priceless artifact in his hand from the ancient Aztecs, stating that it would be a great sell on the Black Market. See-More nodded eagerly, smirking with the other two. Mammoth looked over at Jinx' direction, blinking in confusion.

"What's up, Mammoth?" See-More questioned.

"I think we have a little scum-eating rat running around is what he means," Gizmo sneered. "Come on out, ya crud-sucker!"

Moments passed, but nothing occurred. See-More activated his vision, scanning around for any life besides the guards. His heat ray sensor went off, and he looked over his shoulder, locating the source of the person.

"Bingo!" he cried before a woman backflipped towards them, kicking him straight across the face.

Jinx faced her former comrades, staring at their shocked eyes. "Well, boys, nice to see you again. How'd you escape getting frozen?"

"It's the traitorous witch! We escaped due to my amazing techno skills," Gizmo jeered. "It took a bit to defrost the ice with my heater attached to each one of us, except you of course ya slime-witch!"

Mammoth stared at Jinx, eyes wide in complete shock. "Jinx…why'd you leave?"

"Oh, who cares? Just get her already!" Gizmo shouted, charging at the H.I.V.E Five's traitor.

Kid Wykkyd was the first to react by teleporting directly in front of her. Jinx quickly raised her arm to block the assault of punches from the teleporting teen. He slammed his elbow across her cheek, sending her stumbling, but she retaliated with blasts of bad luck energy. Kid Wykkyd gasped as he barely teleported just in time, but one stunned his leg, sending him to the ground.

Sighing, Jinx suddenly felt a claw tap her shoulder. Gizmo snatched her up in her mechanical spider in one claw, smirking. Her arms felt like they were going to transform into pebbles as the pressure increased. She winched, trying to wrench herself free, but Gizmo's taunting laughter drifted in the still air.

"What's the matter? Thinking you're a total moronic ditz to such sides?" Gizmo sneered, bringing her closer. "You're just like us, Jinx. You always were."

"You're a dwarf," Jinx retorted, sending Gizmo into a massive fury.

"I am not a dwarf! Come on, guys: Attack Pattern Omega!" Gizmo cried, throwing Jinx.

Jinx gracefully backflipped to her feet. She smirked, already knowing the technique since she was the one who designed it. Except they altered it drastically. Mammoth slammed his fists into the ground, creating a shockwave so powerful that Jinx' backflips were rendered useless since her arms and legs felt like jelly, and she collapsed to the ground. See-More leaned backwards, firing a laser from his lone eye, but Jinx countered with a slew of bad luck energy spheres. However, Kid Wykkyd appeared from behind and snatched her wrists, restricting her when the laser struck. She was blasted into the wall while Kid Wykkyd teleported away swiftly beside See-More. See-More called out an apology while Gizmo slapped him over the head with his spider tentacle. Gizmo tossed a small object at her chest before it wires suddenly surrounded her and trapped her.

"Ugh! Let me go, dwarf," Jinx growled, trying to free herself.

"No way! Not after you called me a dwarf, witch!" Gizmo replied. "Now, for the finish-huh?"

Jinx' eyes glowed pink before roaring as pink blasts cut through the wires. She gasped, glaring over to her former partners. Mammoth flinched at her glare, remembering how cold it was. He glanced down to his feet, finding a rather intriguing object: The Titans Communicator. Pretending he didn't see it, Mammoth stomped right on it.

"No!" Jinx gasped. "Mammoth, you are so going to pay for that!"

"Uh oh…" the genetically enhanced teen muttered as Jinx darted at them.

"Snot! The witch is back up," Gizmo mumbled. "Split up so we can distract her!"

The other H.I.V.E members nodded, dashing off in different directions. Gizmo leaped high into the air, leaving a befuddled Jinx. She waited, keeping a pink aura around her hands. She closed her eyes, remembering that whenever she was alone to let her other sense take over. Her eyes would be the deceivers. Slowly, she could hear the footsteps creeping up to her right, and she waited until he was close enough to strike. Glaring, her cat-like eyes turned full pink as she fired as many bad luck charms as possible.

Mammoth could hardly avoid them in time. He dashed behind the rabble he left behind in his wake. The pink blasts slashed around him until one blasted him on his back. Grunting, he snatched up one of the pieces of marble from the museum and tossed it at her head. Blasting it to bits, she watched as Mammoth made a run for the stairs, motioning with his head for her to follow. Confused, Jinx flipped until she was only a few yards away from him.

"Where's that thick-headed snot-eater going?" Gizmo demanded.

"Maybe he's trying to throw Jinx off the roof," Kid Wykkyd suggested as he and See-More emerged from their hiding places. Both of them stared at him. "…What?"

"You've never talked before…" See-More stated.

Kid Wykkyd shrugged, turning towards the stairs and dashing up them.

"That's right! Mammoth's gonna get that slime witch!" Gizmo cheered, deactivating his spider legs, and they went back into his backpack. "Let's watch him rip her stupid hair off like he did that guard!"

Mammoth dashed into a door when the stairs diverged. Jinx heard the voices from below getting closer when Mammoth snatched her arm and dragged her inside. He covered her mouth, hushing her as Gizmo and the others took the other stairs that led to the roof. Once their footsteps were gone, Mammoth released her before getting a fist right to his face. Rubbing his jaw, he groaned as Jinx began for the door.

"Wait, Jinx! I just wanna ask you something," Mammoth entreated.

"…Well, what's that?" she inquired, removing her hand from the door.

"Why did you leave us? This may sound wicked stupid, but we needed you, and you went and left us! For the _Titans_, our enemy!" Mammoth snapped, his voice trembling. "Is that what you really wanted?"

"…Kid Flash and Cyborg showed me that I could be more than just a second-rate thug," Jinx replied. "He's shown me the path of light, of justice. I was accepted-"

"But we accepted you. We were your friends since the academy. We went through so much growing and learning and missions together! I just don't get how some stupid punks can break that! We were a family, Jinx, even with all of our stupid fights. We really took care of each other with all of the formations and whenever someone was in a corner, we'd help him or you."

Jinx cringed at the anger and misery in his tone. She knew that the betrayal must've been hard for them, but she was the traitor. She felt the worst out of them all, knowing that she sent her friends to their doom. Jinx fell silent, glancing back to the door.

"Look, I'm sorry, Mammoth, but I can't change the past," she muttered. "I've learned much from the H.I.V.E and from the Titans. It's strange, I felt different, but I'm sure it's for the better."

"…Is this what you want?"

Jinx looked back at him, almost shocked at the question. Just as she was about to reply, Gizmo came blasting into the room by a kick to his face. Robin smirked at the fallen genius before Starfire came in with See-More and Kid Wykkyd unconscious. She twitched at their fallen bodies as Gizmo tried to get up.

"You alright?" Mammoth asked as he helped Gizmo up.

"Peachy! Let's just get outta here while we still can. Get See-More and Kid Wykkyd and follow me out," Gizmo ordered, a pair of robotic bat wings floating on his back.

"You're not going anywhere," Robin sneered, charging at Gizmo. "Titans, go!"

Starfire charged towards Mammoth, firing star bolt after star bolt, but his massive body frame lessened the damage. Gizmo fired beams at Robin, but he swiftly dodged them and aimed a punch at Gizmo's face, but the evil boy genius activated his bat wings and flew upwards. Landing on Robin's back, he smirked and placed a jet pack, detonating it once he stepped off. Robin screamed as the jet pack sent him on a hellish free ride, crashing into walls and sometimes going through them, trying to break free.

"Robin, no!" Starfire cried, flying after him.

"Not so fast, little lady!" Mammoth roared, snatching her leg and slamming her into the ground. "Your boyfriend here is just going for a joyride of pain."

"Jinx, I can handle Mammoth," Starfire stated as she avoided Mammoth's fist. "Please assist Robin!"

Jinx nodded, darting after the flying leader of the Titans, but Gizmo fired more shots at her. She gracefully avoided them with her elegant backflips, but Kid Wykkyd punched her in the right side of her jaw. She flopped to the ground, groaning as her former partner's rolled back into his head, resuming unconsciousness. Shaking her head, she glared up to Gizmo as he pulled out a circular bomb from his pocket. Sneering, he threw it down at her face, but she rolled away just in time as it exploded in a blast of smoke.

Unfortunately, Gizmo forgot the part that he couldn't see either. Coughs plummeted through the air, and grunts of pain fluttered about. As Robin attempted to halt his jet pack, he aimed for the ground and managed crash it into the ground on his back. Stumbling to his feet, Robin rubbed his head, calling out to Starfire and Jinx to get no reply. Fearing the worst, he slapped his hands into the smog to try to get his sight back. Coughing into his hand, the Boy Wonder's hand hit something, and he grabbed whatever it was.

It was the unconscious body of Kid Wykkyd…standing up. Blinking in confusion, he threw his body back over See-More's. Well, he was technically in a bit of a gothic bat costume, so it seemed…slightly reasonable. Robin looked over his soldier to find Starfire on the ground with Mammoth and Gizmo clearly injured in a corner. Jinx hovered over them, staring forlornly down at them.

"Star!" Robin screeched, darting over to her at lightning speeds. "Can you hear me?"

"I am undamaged if that is what you mean," Starfire meekly responded, trying to sit up.

"Good, I thought you were actually hurt for a moment," he stated with relief flowing through his veins. "Good job, Jinx. You got them in a corner."

Jinx didn't reply, staring down at her injured accomplices. Her former friends stared up at her, weakened from the fight with them. Mammoth glanced up at her with nervous eyes while Gizmo tried to reach for anything at this point, but the injuries he sustained proved too much for his body. They looked so pathetic, down at her feet like bugs waiting to be squashed. Jinx' hand brimmed dark pink, but she lowered it to her chest.

"Jinx…please, don't," Mammoth begged. "We're your friends, aren't we?"

"…He's right," Gizmo muttered sheepishly. "Even if I called you all those snotty names, and you betrayed us for the matter."

"What are you waiting for, Jinx? We gotta bring them in to the cops."

The voice jolted her to reality. She quickly found Kid Flash standing there with a confused expression. Jinx glared back at him, remembering that she had an infatuated relationship with him ever since he began dating a "speed dating" with his speed. She found him too "fast" for her. Jinx stared at him coldly, huffing and turning back to Mammoth and Gizmo.

"Are you two alright?" she asked softly, kneeling down to them.

Mammoth pulled Gizmo over his shoulder as she pulled them to their feet. The smaller genius crawled into a sitting position onto Mammoth's shoulder, rubbing his bruised face. Glaring daggers at Robin, he gripped the sides of his lips and stretched them, sticking his tongue out. Robin blinked at Jinx' decision shocked that she was being so gentle.

"Jinx, what are you-?" Robin asked, but trailed off.

"Oh! They are her friends, so of course she would be feeling the…remorse, correct?" Starfire questioned, but Jinx didn't answer.

"I can handle them," Jinx proclaimed. "Go home. I'm sure Beast Boy broke something."

"Sorry, Jinx, but we have to bring them in," Robin murmured softly. "I know they were your former allies, but…they're evil."

"They are my friends," Jinx growled. "You hardly know anything about them besides that they're the last remnants of the H.I.V.E. We grew up together, Robin."

Robin looked down, closing his eyes. "I know you don't want to bring them in because they're your friends. I can understand that, but they've done so many awful things like trying to help conquer the world."

"And nearly sent us to our graves several times," Starfire added. "The saying would be 'pushing up daisies', yes?"

"I wouldn't go that far, Star," Kid Flash snickered. "I've fought them by myself when they're were six of them including Jinx. They weren't tough at all!"

Rage broiled over Jinx, succumbing her energy and blasting Kid Flash into the wall. He gasped as he leaped to his feet, staring at his teammate with shock plastered in his orbs. Staggering slightly, he glared over to Mammoth and Gizmo who looked on with equal surprise.

"You, Kid Flash, will not say another word," Jinx hissed. "I may have switched sides to the Titans, but I don't want to hear another word about my friends being weak or evil."

"We're still her friends?" Gizmo whispered, looking down to Mammoth.

Mammoth nodded, his heart slowly started to mend. When Jinx left, he was the one hit the hardest. They met before anyone in the group because they were in the same classes together. Jinx was the one that approached him because people thought he was too much trouble with his quick temper and strength, but she used her words and skill to twist around his heartstrings, plucking each one slowly. Then Gizmo came along, starting arguments with everybody, and somehow, the three of them became friends. They were the H.I.V.E's elite students, selected by the Headmistress herself to Slade and recommended by Brother Blood for some private causes like bringing "Stone" under their wing. The trio couldn't have been any prouder until the Teen Titans defeated them, sending them back to the academy. Mammoth couldn't hide his pride at the memory of them all together. A small grin came to his face, but Gizmo nudged his head, forcefully bringing him back to reality where they faced the traitor.

As Jinx glanced over to Mammoth, his words began ringing in her head. While they did fight at times, they really broke through the hard times. The H.I.V.E Five were a family. Crooks and thugs to the world, maybe, but to them, it was just natural. Jinx bit the insides of her mouth, gnawing like a nervous rabbit. Her mind wanted to blast them to oblivion to stay with the Titans, but her once icy cold heart murmured for her otherwise. She couldn't help but wonder if her new friends would ever come to realize that maybe, she wasn't really meant to be one of them: A "hero" since she grew up in a cult of "villains". She was showed the path of "justice" from Cyborg and Kid Flash, but maybe it just wasn't the right way for her. Yet, why did her chest start beating rapidly as she stood in the middle of the quarrelling teams? Was it because she couldn't decide where she belonged? She left the H.I.V.E for the Titans, but was that really the correct decision?

"Come on, I'll go get some rope and tie these guys up," Kid Flash said, ready to dart off.

"You won't," Jinx mumbled, glaring over to Kid Flash.

"Huh? What's that mean?" the hypersonic teen asked, eyes widening in abrupt confusion.

There was no hesitation as Jinx fired off her hexes. Kid Flash was too stunned to dodge as the battering ram of bad luck magic crashed into him. Spiraling down the stairs, Kid Flash's head smashed against the metal steps one too many times and was sent the world of unconscious dreams. Jinx faced the shocked Titans, raising her hand out to them, prepared to fire.

"Mammoth, get everyone out of here," she quietly ordered. "I'll…meet you at the warehouse."

"Jinx, you-!" Gizmo cut himself off when Mammoth darted for See-More and Kid Wykkyd. "Is she coming back to us?"

"I dunno," came his blunt response as he scooped See-More and Kid Wykkyd into his arms. "She said to meet her at our old hiding place, the warehouse by the shore. We're going there now."

"We don't even know what that witch, I mean, Jinx is thinking!" Gizmo argued. "It could be a trap!"

"Maybe, maybe not, but this is probably our only chance to escape, and she's giving it to us on a platter!" Mammoth snapped as he and Gizmo bolted down the stairs. Mammoth paused, kicking Kid Flash straight off the stairs, smirked, and followed his comrade.

Starfire was the first to recover from the shock. Firing dozens of star bolts at her foe, she blasted Jinx to the side with her eyebeams. Jinx yelped, ungracefully twirling away, but Robin's foot nicked her cheek, sending her spiraling down the stairs. From the corner of her eye, she managed to see Mammoth and Gizmo escape through the door with whatever they stole; See-More had apparently woken up, and he was in the lead of running while Kid Wykkyd was still slouched over Mammoth's shoulder. During her distraction, Starfire snatched her by her shirt, dragging her close to her face.

"Why did you allow them to escape?" Robin demanded, pulling out his gold rod.

"I told Kid Flash before. All I am is bad luck, to them and to you," she muttered, reeling her head back and smashing it into Starfire. Propelling herself forward with her flips down the stairs as Robin tended to Starfire, she added, "Thanks for the hospitality! See you!"

"Gah! Traitor!" Robin shouted as Jinx darted out the door.

"_That's all I really am. I continue to switch sides, but that's just causing everyone…bad luck. Maybe I should just vanish so nobody can every find me."_ Jinx stopped in her thoughts, noticing that she was running down the streets. She dashed into a darkened alley, finding that night had already fallen. "…All I am is bad luck. I shouldn't be with anyone or I'll just cause them more pain…"

"Why are you talkin' like that?"

The high-pitched, scratchy voice of Gizmo shocked her. Jinx prepared her hex before realizing it was her H.I.V.E Five friends. She lowered her arm, finding them all stare at her bemusedly, probably wondering what her motives were. Kid Wykkyd had awakened, falling off Mammoth's shoulder and into a nearby trash can. Dragging himself out, Kid Wykkyd rubbed his head and groaned. Jinx blinked, realizing she had run directly down the path where their old warehouse was down by the shore. She hesitated, pinching the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I did. It was wrong to let you all go in the dust like that, allowing you all to freeze." Jinx bowed her head slightly before straightening herself up. "I really should go somewhere far away from you guys. Really, I'm just bad luck, filled with hexes that will just bring you down. Goodbye."

"What if I say I don't want you to go again?" Mammoth blurted as Jinx turned away.

"What did you say?" she asked, blinking in confusion.

Mammoth paused, realizing what he just said. Freezing like he was back in that ice, his face began changing to a bright pink. He stumbled for words mentally, mouth perched shut. Glancing over to Gizmo for help, he cursed when Gizmo just sneered at him.

"Ignore him," See-More stated, still rather smitten with Jinx. "So, why'd you save us?"

"I just told you, I felt guilty since you guys were my friends," she replied, starting to get agitated. "Um, what did you guys steal?"

Gizmo presented a small bright red gem, announcing, "This apparently crash-landed from a world called Azaroth, Raven's world. We were going to try to dissect its powers since it's sorta of like Raven's. It was my entire plan to steal the gem, too, because _I'm_ the new leader!"

Jinx snorted, attempting futilely to stifle her laughter. Gizmo was their leader? She honestly wondered what kind of trick he played to get their vote. The hex witch sneered at the technological teen before rubbing his head playfully. Gizmo whined audibly, trying to slap her hand away.

"So, the three of you were that desperate to let _Gizmo _boss you around?" Jinx chortled before bursting into raunchy laughter.

"Shut up, witch!" Gizmo shrieked, trying to attack her, but Mammoth held him back.

"So, Jinx, does this mean you're coming back with us?" See-More asked hopefully, stars in his…eye.

Jinx wasn't prepped for the question. Sure, she technically betrayed the Titans, and she left the H.I.V.E in the dust for the Titans. She had almost come in a full circle from a villain to a hero to…what? Where would she go now? She was offered a position back with the H.I.V.E, but was that the right path? Straying from her path so many times to take alternate routes kept leading her back from the very same one. The roads always lead her back to the H.I.V.E.

"Mammoth, you sludge-brain! Put me down!" Gizmo screamed, flailing his tiny body around in feeble attempts at freedom.

Mammoth chuckled deeply, placing his comrade down. His gaze returned over to Jinx, knowing she was stuck on an answer. Ever since her betrayal, a massive hole infiltrated his heart. He had actually cried for the longest time, longer than See-More when he got salt in his eye. Of course, he sobbed in secret, making sure that his door was locked, and keeping that nobody was around. If they were, Mammoth would make up an excuse on the spot like that his hair got in his eyes. Hardly believable, but it worked since they were rather dense. After all, if it worked for Jinx, it could work for him.

Mammoth never wanted to admit that the hole in his heart grew with each good deed he saw Jinx do on television, it was his love for her drowning in a deep ocean, being shoved down slowly with an anchor. Mammoth had pondered those feelings once he and the rest of the H.I.V.E escaped, and the question of why his heart beat so rapidly whenever he thought of her. It never happened in the academy since they were rather close friends, like siblings. Once they were on the same team though, their relationship grew, well, in his mind it did. Maybe Jinx saw them as close friends or comrades, perhaps even siblings if he wished hard enough. However, Mammoth felt a passion to her that he never dreamt of: He wouldn't admit he was in love with her. Not to her face at least, and definitely not to his comrades. If See-More caught wind of that, a brawl would be inevitable and a friendship could get shattered like glass.

"Let me think…" Jinx began, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "…I technically betrayed the Titans, allowed you guys to escape, and they're probably gathering the rest of the heroes to get back at me. Kid Flash is probably going to try to get us all busted now. We used to be a couple, but he apparently likes looking up girls' skirts with his super speed. Not a good choice when you have a girlfriend. I am never wearing skirts again."

"He looked up your skirt?! Why that little…I'll break his neck!" Mammoth roared as he clenched his fist. A vein throbbed quickly in his forehead.

"Um…thank you for your concern, Mammoth, but I beat him pretty well so that he never did it again," Jinx sniggered, sweat dropping comically. "Raven and Starfire also had a hand in his beating."

"Oh, well, good, I'm still going to break his neck the next time I see him though. After all, he stole the candy bar I bought," he hissed vehemently.

"And that slimeball insulted me on so many occasions, I owe him a beating!" Gizmo added as See-More and Kid Wykkyd agreed.

"Not to digress or anything, but where is Billy Numerous?" Jinx questioned as the other guys shrugged. "Oh, let me guess. He thought he was soooo tough that he didn't need a back-up plan like the one Gizmo thought of, right?" Nods all around. "Well, at least we're the H.I.V.E Five again. Kid Flash can't be a critic for our name, right?"

Her statement sent shockwaves down their spines. Jinx was coming back? She wouldn't be joining the Titans and betray them like before? See-More was the first to react by hugging her tightly, shouting blissful gibberish. Mammoth grasped his hand, tossing him over his shoulder before embracing Jinx softly. She was coming back this time, and that had to be the best feeling in the world. Warm joy coveted his chest as a genuine, sappy smile plastered itself on his face.

"_Hey!_" See-More shrieked, trying to shove Mammoth off. "I was hugging her first!"

"Get in line," Mammoth grunted as Jinx slowly wrapped his arms around his back, barely reaching halfway.

"Nice to see your enthusiasm for my return, Mammoth," Jinx whispered, making a fresh streak of red cross his cheeks. "This time, I'm definitely staying. Besides, you are the one that rather entreated me to come back. Remember, in that room where you dragged me?"

"Uh, yeah," he stuttered, flushing even more. "I just kind of got depressed when you left, and I couldn't figure out why. It was too much for me to handle, I guess, since we pretty much grew up together. You were the first one to talk to me, after all."

"Besides Gizmo, and he's just a shrimp," Jinx snickered as they pulled away.

"Crammit! Shove it, you witch!" Gizmo shouted, pulling out his jetpack. Getting straight in her face as it activated, he added, "And I'm still leader, so there!" Sticking his tongue out, he sneered before Jinx snatched his slimy tendril.

"Okay, who wants me as leader?" she announced.

Mammoth, See-More and Kid Wykkyd raised their hands.

"Stooges! All of ya are a buncha crud-eating stooges and one witch!" Gizmo whined, crossing his arms.

"I missed you, too, Gizmo," Jinx growled, slapping him over the head. "I missed doing that. So, back to the warehouse where we can plot our next-"

"Look's like your luck just ran out, Jinx!"

The reformed H.I.V.E Five looked down the alleyway to find the Teen Titans excluding Kid Flash glaring them down. Robin and Starfire had gathered Cyborg, Raven and Beast Boy to face them. It was rather ironic how the teams clashed, being one of the side of "light and justice" and the other on the side of "darkness and evil" since Jinx had diverged on both paths. As the groups prepared themselves for a brawl, Jinx and Mammoth exchanged looks of confidence.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Of course. Attack Pattern Alpha!" she cried.

She was "bad luck", a hex mistress, but it didn't mean she wasn't pure darkness. Jinx had a heart, a conscience, and a soul that revolved around her arrogance, plots, and her friends. Soul-searching took her mind to the brink, but as she was in the midst of battle and throwing Beast Boy's frog from to the side, she realized that she was home. Home was where her heart was…and that was the H.I.V.E, her team and family.


End file.
